In this episode of the Whitehall Sources Podcast, Calum Macdonald and political strategist Jo Tanner are joined by Ian Williams, former foreign correspondent in Beijing and Moscow and author of Vampire State: The Rise and Fall of the Chinese Economy, to unpack what Starmer’s visit really means for UK–China relations, national security, and Britain’s fragile economy.

We explore:

• Whether China actually has anything to offer the UK economically
• The risks of Chinese investment in critical infrastructure
• Lessons (and failures) from Huawei and previous UK–China deals
• How the US — and Donald Trump — may respond
• Whether China has reached “peak China” economically
• The realities of surveillance, espionage, and diplomacy in Beijing

Calum and Jo also discuss the fallout from Andy Burnham's blocked bid to run for Parliament and Controversy surrounding a social media released by the Labour Party.

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